After making a “deal” in Mexico to escape the clutches of a Desert Demon, the New Champions were able to place the third DarkR Web node on Mount Orizaba. Only a few hours later, once back in range of the now-expanding encrypted communications network, the team was alerted by Sean Rogers, the Last Silver Avenger, to a radioed alert from scientists operating out of a Greenland Research Station on Roosevelt Ridge -- the same location where the fourth DarkR Web node needed to be placed to complete the Expanded DarkR Web across all of North America.
Sean repeated, "An unidentified spacecraft has crash-landed outside of their camp. The two scientists on location have been authorized by local authorities to examine the crash site. Early reports confirm that nothing has exited from the spacecraft. Authorities have only authorized the scientists for 'external observation'. A recovery crew is being dispatched, but will not arrive for two days.
After a brief stop-over at the secret base location in Millennium City -- Wildthing, Ghost, and Nemesis continued onward to Greenland in the Xplore Plane piloted by Fazer. After recent upgrades to the plane, their "girls trip" would only take a few minutes to get to the northernmost peak in North America. Ghost flew outside the plane, providing a scout's view of incoming threats.
Upon descent, the team could see a spacecraft crashed into the glacier. Two small flashlights were visible along with the blinking red light from the radio tower. Cautiously approaching, the team began to move around the ice-formed mountain. Almost as soon as they moved beyond view of the Xplore Plane, a stream of colored light burst across the glacier and crashed into the snowy mountainside. Recovering quickly, the speedster who had blazed across the glacier stood back from the mountainside as Wildthing leapt ferociously close to him and snarled, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"
He paused for a moment and then answered through his mask, "Rocket, ...I'm little...I'm Lil'Rocket"
Wildthing continued in her characteristic snarl, "Do you work here at this operation?"
"No! I was just in Millennium City...how did I get here?" Lil'Rocket questioned honestly...having been testing his speed and abilities, inadvertently overshooting into Greenland.
Meanwhile, Ghost nonchalantly carried the DarkR Web node to the top of the radio tower, communicating with the team over radio frequencies as she flew upward. Without incident, she placed the final expansion node on the tower. For a moment, there was static on the New Champions' communication devices, but then voices could be heard:
"Logging on for the first time, we got your instructions Socrates."
"Ranger Rooster, logging on."
"Captain Moreno, online."
Countless other individual voices could be heard and it became clear that Socrates had given instructions to other resistance "cells" across the continent, waiting for this moment.
Socrates piped in, "Welcome everyone. Please be sure to keep this channel secure. Do not share it outside of your closest circle of associates. New Champions, congratulations, you have opened new levels of communications and allowed our influence to expand across the continent."
After the chatter died down, the New Champions, accompanied by Lil'Rocket agreed to investigate the unidentified spacecraft.
Ghost was the first member of the team to approach the edge of the spacecraft and identified a doorway with an external control panel.
Now over the secure communications, Socrates confirmed, "This Spacecraft is not a known design. I cannot locate any records of such a craft in existence."
However, Ghost was able to discern the meaning behind the script of the instructions on the control panel. Even still, she could not alone make sense of the words’ intent. However, Lil'Rocket standing nearby offered assistance.
With Ghost's interpretation of the alien language and Lil'Rocket's knowledge of computer systems, the two were able to navigate the screens of the control panel. Lil'Rocket attempted an "override" to open the external door and lights began to flash around the door. Immediately, Ghost broadcasted a radio-frequency message of "assistance" toward the spacecraft using the language she observed on the control panel.
Quickly, the beings inside the spacecraft communicated back over radio frequency, "Our ship is damaged, we require materials for repair." With that, Ghost -- communicating in an alien language over radio frequency transmissions -- requested permission to enter the ship, offering assistance.
After a few more minutes, the door of the spacecraft opened. Certain of her ability to breathe in an alien environment, Nemesis crossed the light-blue energy barrier into the ship and began observing the inhabitants of the spacecraft while the others on the team remained outside.
Soon afterward, Nemesis began gyrating and making motions similar to the three-armed plant-like creatures...apparently communicating with them her intentions to help. The creatures motioned toward the front of the spacecraft where three of the plant-like creatures were at a computer-screen, communicating with Ghost's radio-frequency transmissions. Ultimately, they were able to communicate with Nemesis and Ghost, collectively, that they needed help repairing damaged mechanics along with a series of raw materials to facilitate their return home.
The team quickly agreed to help the creatures, known as the "Qualith". Fazer took the XPlore Plane back to Millennium City, flying invisibly in the night sky. The very same materials needed by the Qualith to repair their ship were in storage at the hangar used by Runeforce to store the XPlore Plane [Runeforce and Fazer, when not in super heroic form, are the chief leaders of XPlore Corp, a space exploration company.]
After returning with the materials, the team collectively carried them onto the spacecraft (except for Lil'Rocket and Fazer, who could not breathe the air inside the ship). The Qualith were efficient at repairing their ship. Within hours, they were ready to depart. At the helm of the spacecraft, the Qualith leaders shared with Ghost that their trajectory would’ve taken their spacecraft through the sun. Clearly they had moved between dimensions somehow [thanks to the Five Sisters.] Their only hope was to exactly retrace the trajectory they'd followed and possibly the dimensional portal that brought them here would return them to their own dimension.
The ship was now repaired and their hopeful course home was set.
With odd gyrations and puffs of spores from their bodies, the Qualith offered their thanks to the New Champions. The team exited the spacecraft and watched as it returned along the flight trajectory they'd been in when the crash occurred. Within seconds, the ship vanished from the sky.
